Your Local Independent 189

Page 10 Christmas 2024 AD SALES 01204 478812 Opening Times: Monday-Friday 9.00am - 5pm Saturday 10am - 4pm DERBY BARRACKS, FLETCHER STREET, BOLTON BL3 6NF www.emmaus-bolton.org.uk • info@emmausbolton.org.uk DO YOU SEW OR CRAFT? We have a large stock of fabrics and textiles at unbelievable prices. WE SELL RECYCLED FURNITURE AND FURNISHINGS ALL AT VERY COMPETITIVE PRICES TO DONATE YOUR GOODS AND ARRANGE A FREE COLLECTION CALL 01204 398056 GREATER Manches- ter Police’s ‘Mini Police’ scheme has been rolled out in Bolton with a Horwich school one of the part- ners in the project. GMP’s district neigh- bourhood teams have cho- sen to work with Chorley New Road Primary Acad- emy this year, alongside St Mary’s CE Primary in Bolton. The schools’ Mini GMP officers took part in an attestation ceremony at Bolton Wanderers’ sta- dium in Middlebrook. The children, their families and teach- ers were given a tour of the ground before the ceremony. The Mini Police scheme, run by neigh- bourhood officers, sees children aged eight to 10 from primary schools engage in activities to build a strong relation- ship between young peo- ple and the police. The programme is designed to introduce children to the world of law enforcement and aims to break down barriers. It looks to establish Attestation: The young Mini Police o!cers at the ceremony held at Bolton Wanderers ground (Photo credit: GMP) OLD Rivingtonians Sports Club have been giving the green light to build a ‘Huddle’ unit on Pickups Sports Field in Horwich. The building will act as a clubhouse and community facility. The project is also looking to inject cash through sports funding to improve the field’s drainage and footpaths. The Huddle has ben gifted free of charge by housebuilder Northstone. Bolton Council has granted planning permission for it to be put in place. There is a £100,000 ring-fenced fund available for the improvement of Pickups Field. The club was originally formed in 2001 by chairman Colin Myers. Starting fromone team it has grown to 20 teams, ranging from under-sixes all the way through to open age. Old Rivingtonians has around 320 registered players as well as all the vol- unteers who help the club and teams to function. In a statement to the planning committee the club said: “We currently only have a basic and small changing rooms facility, which in essence cannot be used for anything else. “From the club’s point of view, The Huddle could sit alongside this and would become our clubhouse. “Matchesattheweekendarecurrently played on Saturday mornings, Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings. Training – during the summer months – are also onmost weekday evenings. “During these times, The Huddle would enable us to have somewhere for people to meet. Somewhere for people to get a drink or a snack. Somewhere to shelter whilst watching on. All of those things that a clubhouse enables. “For other times when training and matches are not on, The Huddle would be a place for our club to hold its meetings. “It would be somewhere for us to host events and fundraisers. It would be somewhere for us to run tournaments from. It would become the club’s home.” Sports club’s winning Huddle ‘Mini Police’ ranks are reinforced a connection between young individuals and local officers to create a positive attitude towards the role of police officers in society. Bolton Superinten- dent Ian Jones, who previously launched the Mini Police scheme in Wigan last year, and the force’s new district com- mander, Chief Superin- tendent Helen Critchley, supported the group by welcoming them to GMP. Superintendent Jones said: “Everyone in your school now will be look- ing to you for advice, and your role as a mini police officer will be to help them choose the right path and make the right decisions. “I want everyone to work hard, take everything in, learn from the activities but also share what you learn with your peers. “My biggest message to you is ‘just think’. Whether you’re at school, home or out in the com- munity, just think what the consequence of your decision is. Think to yourself ‘how will this decision affect me, my family, my friends, my community?’ “Making the right choice can sometimes be tough, but as long as you’re thinking about your decisions and the consequences, I know you’ll be fantastic role models to your friends and the rest of the community.”